Performance of High Tunnel Organic Blackberry and Raspberry

High tunnels have been used to extend production and improve the quality of many vegetables and fruits.  Recently high tunnels have been employed in the production of high-value fruit crops such as blackberries and raspberries. The University of Arkansas initiated two studies to investigate the use of high tunnels to modify the harvest period of both primocane and floricane fruiting blackberries and raspberries.  Study 1 was a comparison of three floricane fruiting blackberries (‘Navaho’, ‘Ouachita’, and ‘Arapaho’) and raspberries (‘Dormanred’, ‘Prelude’ and ‘Encore’) in open-field vs high tunnel production with the goal to advance the spring harvest.  Study 2 included three primocane fruiting blackberry (‘Prime-Jim’, ‘Prime-Jan’ and APF46) and raspberry cultivars (‘Autumn Bliss’, ‘Caroline’, and ‘Dinkum’) in field vs high tunnel production with the goal of delaying harvest using pruning methods and extending harvest with high tunnels. Genotype evaluation in the high tunnel environment is necessary to achieve season extension goals.  Early or late flowering traits are important considerations when selecting genotypes for advancing spring or delaying autumn production, respectively,  and some genotypes performed better in high tunnels while others do not.  Primocane and floricane fruiting raspberries and floricane fruiting blackberries performed better in tunnels, achieving greater yields, larger berry size and a higher percentage of marketable fruit compared to open field production.  Primocane fruiting blackberry production performance in high tunnels was genotype dependent.  While ‘Prime Jim’ and APF 46 both performed better inside the high tunnels, ‘Prime Jan’ had greater yield in open-field conditions with no difference in berry size.